Desperation in the Deep

Published 4:00 am, Thursday, August 17, 2000

WITH OXYGEN low and hope running out for 118 Russian sailors trapped in the crippled nuclear submarine Kursk, a desperate Russia finally asked for help yesterday from Britain and Norway.

But it may be too late for the crew, entombed 350 feet deep in the Barents Sea since last Saturday when an apparent explosion aboard sent the sub to the bottom with all hands.

Russian officials said the crew had stopped pounding SOS signals on the hull, but held out hope the sailors were being quiet to conserve air. Yet, the silence was ominous.

It is difficult to imagine the mental and physical agony of a slow death by suffocation or carbon dioxide poisoning in a dark, steel coffin hundreds of feet beneath the sea. Veteran submariners shudder at the thought.

In the best tradition of seafaring nations, Norway and Britain dispatched rescue ships to the scene, where heavy weather has hampered Russian recovery efforts. U.S. offers of help have so far been politely declined.

Until yesterday, when it was clear Russian rescue efforts were not working, top naval officials stubbornly refused foreign help, either through misguided national pride or fear of disclosing military secrets.

Russian officials reverted to Soviet-style secrecy, issuing erroneous, fragmentary and contradictory reports that raised more questions than they answered, especially about dangers posed by the sunken warship.

The stricken Kursk has two nuclear reactors aboard and is capable of carrying 24 cruise missiles, but Russian top brass insisted there were no nuclear warheads on board when it sank during training exercises.

U.S. nuclear analysts say the dangers of radiation pollution are slight, for now.

The Kurst is one of Russia's most advanced nuclear subs, commissioned in 1995 to counter the U.S. Navy's nuclear-powered aircraft carrier strike groups.

In recent years, however, Russia's once- proud submarine fleet has been plagued by funding shortages, low morale, infrastructure breakdowns and poor maintenance. The Kurst was a tragedy waiting to happen.